NFL to extend goal posts five feet

During their annual meetings in Orlando, NFL owners on Wednesday passed a proposal extending the goal posts an additional five feet above the cross bar.

During their annual meetings in Orlando, NFL owners on Wednesday passed a proposal extending the goal posts an additional five feet above the cross bar.

Another proposal that passed will make the recovery of a loose ball in the field of play reviewable by replay. The measure is known as the "NaVorro Bowman" rule after the 49ers linebacker was robbed of a fumble recovery in last year's NFC title game because the play couldn't be reviewed.

NFL owners also passed a proposal that will keep the clock running after sacks, unless they occur in the final two minutes.

A proposal to move extra point attempts back to the 25-yard line failed, but the league will experiment with snapping the ball from the 20-yard line for extra points during the first two weeks of the preseason, increasing the degree of difficulty to that of a 38-yard field goal.

Proposals that failed included moving kickoffs back five yards to the 40-yard line and permitting coaches to challenge any official's decision, including personal foul penalties, with the exception of scoring plays, which are automatically reviewed.

Other proposals that failed included eliminating the cut-down to 75 players during training camp and allowing more than one player to return to the active list from injured reserve.

Proposals that were tabled included eliminating overtime in the preseason, raising the practice squad limit from eight to 10 players and increasing the number of active players from 46 to 49 for regular-season games played on days other than Sunday or Monday, excluding Week 1.

On Tuesday, the owners passed proposals allowing referees to consult with an officiating department in New York on replay reviews and making it illegal for blockers to "roll up" on the side of an opponent's leg. Previously, it was only illegal to roll up on the back of an opponent's leg.